Yugioh and The Owl Who was afraid of the dark
by yamiyugi23
Summary: it is a crossover between Yugioh and The Owl Who was afraid of the dark. Yugi is the cute Plop! Jou comes first, then Yugi's grandpa, then Honda, then Tea, then Duke and lastly but not lest, Yami! COMPLETE!
1. Dark is exciting

**Dark is Exciting**

I do not own either of these 2 books – disclaimer done!

Yes it is a crossover between Yugioh and The Owl Who was afraid of the dark.

Yugi was a baby barn owl, and he lived with his mum and dad at the top of a very tall tree in a field.

Yugi was fat and fluffy.

He had a beautiful heart-shaped ruff.

He had enormous, round, amethyst (sp?) Coloured eyes.

He had very knackety knees.

In fact he was the same as every baby barn owl that has ever been – except for one this.

Yugi was afraid of the dark.

"You can't be afraid of the dark," said his Mum. "Owls are _never_ afraid of the dark"

"This one is," Yugi said

"But Owls are _night _birds," she said.

Yugi looked down at his toes. "I don't want to be a night bird," he mumbled. "I want to be a day bird"

"You _are_ what you _are_" said Mrs. Barn owl.

"Yes, I know," agreed Yugi "and what I are is afraid of the dark,"

"Oh dear," said Mrs barn owl. It was clear that she was going to need a lot of patience. She shut her eyes and tried to think how best she could help Yugi not be afraid of the dark. Yugi waited.

His mother opened her eyes again.

"Yugi, you are only afraid of the dark because you don't know about it. What _do_ you know about the dark?"

"It's black," said Yugi

"Well, that's wrong for a start. It can be silver or blue or grey or lots of other colours, but almost never black. What else do you know about it?"

"I don't like it," said Yugi "I do not like it AT ALL"

"That's not _knowing_ something," said his mother. "That's _feeling_ something. I don't think that you know anything about the dark at all."

"Dark is nasty," Said Yugi loudly.

"You don't know that. You have never had your beak outside the nest-hole after dusk. I think that you had better go down into the world and find out a lot more about the dark before you make up your mind about the it."

"Now?" Said Yugi.

"Now" said his mother.

Yugi climbed out of the nest-hole and wobbled along the branch outside. He peeped over the edge. The world seemed to be a very long way down.

"I'm not a very good lander," he said "I might spill myself."

"Your landings will improve with practice," said his mother. "Look! There's a little boy down there on the edge of the wood collecting sticks. Go and talk to him about it."

"Now?" Said Yugi.

"Now" said his mother.

So Yugi shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and feel off his branch. His small white wings carried him down, but, he was not a good lander. He did seven very fast somersaults past the little boy.

"Ooh!" cried the little boy. "A giant Catherine-wheel!"

"Actually," said the Catherine wheel, picking himself up. "I'm a barn owl."

"Oh yes – so you are," said Jounouchi with obvious disappointment. "Of course, you couldn't be a firework yet. Dad says we can't have fireworks until it gets dark. Oh, I wish it would hurry up and get dark _soon_."

"You _want_ it to get dark?" said Yugi in amazement.

"Oh, YES," said Jounouchi "**Dark is Exciting. **And tonight is specially exciting because were going to have fireworks."

"What are fireworks," asked Yugi "I don't think owls have them – at least not barn owls"

"Don't you?" said Jounouchi "Oh, you poor thing. Well there are rockets and flying saucers, and volcanoes, and golden rain, and sparklers, and …"

"But what are the?" asked Yugi "Do you eat them?"

"No!" laughed Jounouchi. "Dad sets fire to their tails and they _whoosh_ into the air and fill the sky with coloured stars – well, the rockets, that is. I'm allowed to hold the sparklers."

"What about the volcanoes? And the golden rain? What do they do?"

"Oh, they sort of burst into showers of stars. The golden rain _pours_ – well, like rain."

"And the flying sauces?"

"Oh, they're super! They whiz round your head and make a sort of _wheeee._ I like them the best."

"I think I would like fireworks," said Yugi.

"I'm sure you would" Jounouchi said "Look here, where do you live?"

"Up in that tree – in the top flat. There are squirrels farther down."

"That big tree in the middle of the field? Well, you can watch our fireworks from there! That's our garden – the one with the swing. You look out as soon as it gets dark…"

"Dose it _have_ to be dark?" asked Yugi

"Of course it does! You can't see unless it's dark. Well, I must go. These sticks are for the bonfire."

"Bonfire?" asked Yugi. "What is that?"

"You'll see if you look out tonight. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye" said Yugi, bobbing up and down in a funny little bow.

He watched Jounouchi run across the field, and then took a little run himself, spread his wings and fluttered up to the landing branch. He slithered along it on his tummy and dived head first into the nest-hole.

"Well?" said his mother.

Jounouchi says **Dark is Exciting**."

"And what do you think Yugi?"

"I still don't like it AT ALL," said Yugi, "but I'm going to watch the fireworks – if you will sit by me."

"I will sit by you," said his mother.

"So will I" said his father so had just woken up. "I like fireworks."

So that is what they did.

When it began to get dark, Yugi waddled to the mouth of the nest-hole and peered out cautiously.

"Come on, Yugi! I think there starting," said Mr. Barn owl. He was already in position on a big branch at the very top of the tree. "We shall see beautifully from here."

Yugi took two brave little steps out of the nest-hole.

"I'm here" said his mother quietly "come on."

So together, wings almost touching, they flew up to join Mr barn owl.

They were only just in time. There were flames leaping and crackling at the end of Jounouchi garden.

"That must be the bonfire!" squeaked Yugi.

Hardly had Yugi got his wings tucked away, when _**"WHOOSH"**_ – up went a rocket and spat out a shower of green starts. "Ooooh!" said Yugi, his eyes like saucers.

A fountain of dancing stars sprang up from the ground – and another and another. "Ooooh!" said Yugi again.

"You sound like a Tawny owl," said his father. "Goodness! What's that?"

Something was whizzing about leaving bright trails of squiggles behind it and making a loud "Wheeee" noise.

"Oh, that's a flying saucer," said Yugi.

"Really?" his father said. "I've never seen one of those before. You seem to know all about it. What's that fizzy one that keeps jigging up and down?"

"I expect that's my friends, Jounouchi, with a sparkler. Oooooh! There's a me!"

"I beg your pardon?" said Yugi's father

"It's a Catherine-wheel! Jounouchi thought I was a Catherine wheel when I landed. Oh, isn't it beautiful? And he thought _I_ was one!"

Mr barn owl watched the whirling, sparkling circles spinning round and round.

"That must have been quite a landing!" he said.

Yayyyyyy, what do you think of this story so far? Please review and tell me what you think!!!

Does anyone know Yugi's grandfather's Japanese name? And is the English one "Solomon" and is it spelt right?

The next chapter will be Dark is Kind.


	2. Dark is kind

**Dark is kind**

I do not own either of these 2 books – disclaimer done!

Yes it is a crossover between Yugioh and The Owl Who was afraid of the dark.

When the very last firework had faded away, Mr. Barn owl turned to Yugi.

"Well son," He said "I'm off hunting now. Would you like to come?"

Yugi looked at the darkness all around them. It seemed even blacker after the bright fireworks.

"Er – not this time, thank you, Dad. I can't see, I've got stars in my eyes."

"I see," said his father "In that case I shall have to go by myself." He floated off into the distance like a great white moth.

Yugi turned in distress to his mother.

"I _wanted _to go with him. I _want _to like the dark. It's just that I don't that I don't seem to be able to."

"You will be able to, Yugi. I'm quite sure about that."

"I'm not sure." Said Yugi.

"Well I _am_," said his mother. "Now, come on. You'd better have your rest. You were awake half the day."

So Yugi had his midnight rest, and when he woke up, his father was back with his dinner. Yugi swallowed it in one gulp.

"That was nice" he said, "What was it?"

"A mouse." Said Mr. Barn owl.

"I like mouse" said Yugi "What's next?"

"I have no idea," said his father "It's mum's turn now, you'll have to wait until she gets back."

Yugi was always hungry, and his mother and father were kept very busy bringing him food all night long. When daylight came, they were very tired and just wanted to go to sleep.

"Bedtime Yugi," said Mrs. Barn owl.

"I don't want to go to bed," said Yugi "I want to be a day bird"

"Well, _I_ am a night bird" said his mother. "And if your father and I don't get any sleep today, _you_ won't get anything to eat tonight."

Yugi did not like the sound of that at all, so he drew himself up straight and tall – well, as tall as he could – and tried to go to sleep.

He did sleep for half the morning, but then he woke up full of beans – or perhaps it was mouse – and he just could not go back to sleep again.

He jiggled up and down on the branch where his poor parents were trying to roost. He practiced standing on one leg, and taking off and landing, and other important things that a little owl has to do. Then he thought he would try out his voice. He tried to make, a real grown-up barn owl noise. "Eeeek!" he screeched "EEEEEK!" It sounded like the noise a cat makes when you accidentally step upon its tail.

Yugi was very pleased with it.

Mrs. Barn owl was not. She half opened one bleary eye. "Yugi, dear," she said "Wouldn't you like to go down the world again and find out more about the dark?"

"Now?" asked Yugi

"Now" said his mother

"Don't you want to hear me screeched first? It's getting jolly good."

"I heard it," Mrs barn owl said "Look, there's an old man in a deck chair down there in that garden. Go and disturb – I mean, go and find out what he thinks about the dark."

So Yugi shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and fell off his branch. He did not get his wings working in time. He fell faster and faster and finally plunged at the old man's feet with an earth shattering thump.

"Gracious!" cried the old man, called Solomon Muto "A thunderbolt!"

"A-a-a-actually, I'm a barn owl," said the thunderbolt when he had got his breath back.

"Really?" said Solomon. "I do beg your pardon, m eyes aren't what they use to be. How nice of you to – er – drop in."

"Well, it wasn't nice of me exactly," Yugi said truthfully "I came to ask you about something."

"Did you?" said Solomon. "Now what could that be, I wonder?"

"I wanted to ask you about the dark. You see, I'm a bit afraid of it, and that's rather awkward for an owl. We're supposed to be night birds."

"That is a problem," said Solomon "Have you tried carrots?"

"What?"

"Don't say 'what', say ' I peg our pardon' if you don't hear the first time. I said have you tried carrots?"

"I don't think owls have carrots – not barn owls anyway."

"Oh. A pit. I've always sworn by carrots for helping one to see in the dark."

"I _can_ see in the dark," said Yugi. "I can see for miles and miles."

"Now, don't boast. It is not nice for little boys to boast."

Solomon leaned forward and peered closely at Yugi. "I suppose you are a little boy? It's so difficult to tell these days. They all look the same."

"Yes," said Yugi "I'm a boy owl, and I want to go hunting with dad, but he always goes hunting in the dark, and I'm afraid of it."

"How very odd," said Solomon. "Now, I love the dark. I expect you will when you are my age. Dark is kind."

"Tell me" said Yugi.

"_Please_," said Solomon "Such a little word, but it dose wonders."

"Tell me please," said Yugi obediently.

"Well now," Solomon began "Dark is kind in all sort of ways. Dark hides things – like shabby furniture and the hole in the carpet. It hides my wrinkles and my gnarled old hands. I can forget I'm old in the dark."

"I don't think owls get wrinkles," said Yugi. "Not barn owls, anyway. They just get a bit moth-eaten looking."

"Don't interrupt," said Solomon. "It is very rude to interrupt. Now where was I? Yes, dark is kind when you are old. I can sit in the dark and remember. I remember my dear wife and my children when they were small and all the good times we had together. I am never lonely in the dark."

"I haven't much to remember yet," said Yugi. "I'm rather new you see."

"Dark is quiet, too," said Solomon, looking hard at Yugi. "Dark is restful, unlike a little owl, I know." "Me?" said Yugi.

"You," said Solomon. "When I was a little boy, children were seen but not heard."

"I'm not children," said Yugi. "I'm a barn owl." "Same thing," said Solomon. "You remind me very much of my son Arthur when he was about four. He had the same bent knees."

"Are my knees bent?" asked Yugi, squinting downwards. "I can't see them. My tummy gets in the way."

"Very," said Solomon. "But I expect they'll straight up in time. Arthur's did. Now I'm going indoors to have a little rest."

Yugi was surprised. "I thought it was only owls who sleep in the daytime," he said. "Are you a night bird, too?"

Solomon smiled. "No, just an old bird. A very tired old bird."

"Goodbye then. I'll go now," said Yugi. "Thank you for telling me about the dark."

He fluttered up to Solomon's shoulder and nibbled her ear very gently. The old lady was enchanted. "An owl kiss," he said. "How very kind!"

Yugi jumped down again and bobbed his funny little bow.

"Such charming manners!" said Solomon.

Then Yugi took a little run, spread his wings, and flew up to the landing branch.

"Well?" said his mother. " Solomon says dark is kind."

"And what do you think, Yugi?"

"I still do not like it at all. Do you think my knees are bent?"

"Of course," said his mother. "All little barn owls have bent knees."

"Oh, good!" said Yugi.

"And what do you think Solomon said?"

"She said children should be seen but not heard."

Mr. Barn owl opened one sleepy eye. "Here, here," he said.

WOW!! Amazing 6 page of nothing but text! That's a new record for me! Even with college assignments.

Please review and tell me what you think!!


	3. Dark is fun

**Dark is Fun**

I do not own either of these 2 books – disclaimer done!

Yes it is a crossover between Yugioh and The Owl Who was afraid of the dark.

That evening when it was getting dark, Mr barn owl invited Yugi to go hunting with him again.

"Coming son?" he said, "It's a lovely night."

"Err – not this time, thank you, Dad." Said Yugi who was sitting just outside the next-hole. "I'm busy."  
"You don't look busy," Mr barn owl, said, "What are you doing?"

"I am busy _remembering_'" said Yugi.

"I see," said his father "In that case I shall have to go bye myself." He swooped off into the darkness like a great, silent jet aeroplane.

"What are you remembering, Yugi" asked his mother.

I'm remembering what Solomon said about dark being kind. She says she is never lonely in the dark because she has so much to remember."

"Well then," said Mrs barn owl "this would be a good moment for me to slip out and do some hunting."

"You're not going to leave me by myself!" said Yugi.

"I shan't be long. I'll try to bring you back something nice."

"But I'll be lonely."

"No you won't. You'll be kept busy remembering, just like Solomon said."

Yugi watched his mother float off into the darkness like a white feather.

The darkness seemed to come towards him and wrap itself around him.

"Dark is kind," Yugi muttered to himself. "Dark is kind. Oh dear, what shall I remember?" He closed his eyes and tried to remember something to remember. The Fireworks! He would remember the fireworks. He had enjoyed them. The darkness had been spotted and stripped with coloured lights above the glow of the bonfire. He still had stars in his eyes when he thought of it.

Shouts – happy shouts – from under his tree brought Yugi back from his remembering. He opened his eyes and peered down though the leaves. There were people running about his field, and flames were thick from a pile of sticks. Another bonfire! Did that mean more fireworks?

Yugi watched excitedly.

He could see now that the people running about where boys – quite big boys in shorts.

Suddenly they all disappeared into the woods with sequels and yells. There was one boy left, sitting on a log by the fire.

Yugi forgot about being afraid of the dark. He had to know what was going on. So he shut his eyes, took a deep breath and fell off his branch.

The ground appeared to be closer then he thought, and he landed with a giant thud.

"coo!" said the boy on the log, called Honda Hiroto, "a roly-poly pudding! Who throw that!"

"Nobody threw me, I just came," said the roly-poly pudding "I'm a barn owl."

"So you are," said Honda "Have you fallen out of your nest?"

Yugi drew himself up as tall as he could. " I did not fall – I flew," he said. "I'm just not a very good lander, that's all. I cam to see if you're going to have fireworks, as a matter of fact."

"Fireworks?" said Honda "What makes you think that?"

"Well, the bonfire." Said Yugi

"That is no bonfire" said Honda " This is a campfire – and I'm guarding it until the others get back."

"Where have they gone?" asked Yugi

"They've gone to play games in the dark, lucky things."

"Do you _like _playing games in the dark." Ask Yugi.

"Its super!" said Honda "**Dark is fun.** Even quite ordinary games like hide-and-seek are fun in the dark. My favourite game is the one where one of you stand outside a 'home' with a torch in hand , and shines it out anything that they see or hears moving. The rest of you have to creep past him and 'home' without being spotted. Its supper!"

There was a crash and a yell of "Scmbo! Got you!" from the woods.

"There – they're playing it now. Old Scumbo always gets caught first. He's got such big feet. You have to creep like a shadow not to get caught. Oh, it _would_ be my turn to guard the fire."

"What's the fire for?" asked Yugi

"Well, we cook potatoes in it, and make coco, and sing around it."

"What for?"

"What for? Because its fun, that's why, and because boy scouts always have camp-outs."

"Is that what your are? A boy scout?"

"Of course silly, or I wouldn't be here would I? I must put some more would on the fire."

"Yugi watched the boy scout build up the fire.

"Could - could I be a boy scout?" he asked

"I doubt it" said Honda "You're a bit on the small side, maybe a cub but you have to be eight years old."

"I'm eight weeks," said Yugi

"Looks like you still have a long way to go doesn't it?" said Honda "Anyway – he grinned – you'd look jolly silly in the uniform."

Yugi looked so disappointed that Honda said "Never mind, you can stay for tonight's sing-along."

"You'd better go home and ask your mother first though."

So Yugi flew up into the hest—hole and found his mother waiting.

"Where have you been," she said. She sounded a bit cross, like all mother do when they've been worrying.

"I've been talking to Honda, a boy scout, and he says, **Dark is Fun**, and he says I can stay for the campfire, so can I mum?"

"Yes, well, alright," she said

"oh, super!" said Yugi

So Yugi was a boy scout for the night. He sat on Honda's shoulder and was introduced to everybody. They made a great fuss of him and he did not care for coco, but did have a small potato, that Honda blew on it for him because he knew that owls swallow their food whole and a hot potato in the tummy would be uncomfortable for Yugi.

The scouts huddled around the fire and sang and sang while the sparks danced. They sang lots of different songs. Yugi did not sing because he wanted to listen, but every now and then he got a bit excited and fluttered around the boys heads and cried "Eeek" Eeeeek!" and everybody laughed.

They sung until the fire had sunk to a deep, red glow and Yugi had turned quite pink in it's light. Then it was time to go home, for the boys and for Yugi. And when Yugi had said good bye to them all, and bowed and bowed until he ached, he spread his wings and flew up to the landing branch.

"Well?" said his mother?

"I told you, Honda said **Dark is Fun.**"

"And what do you think Yugi?"

"I still don't like it AT ALL – but I think campfires are super! Did you bring me something special?"

"I did"

Yugi swallowed it in one gulp.

"That was nice," he said "What was it?"

"Grasshopper."

"I like grasshopper," Said Yugi "What's next?"

NEXT ---- **DARK IS NECESSARY**

WOW 15 pages so far!!!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!! NO ONE HAS REVIEWED YET!!!


	4. Dark is Necessary

**Dark is Necessary**

**I do not own either of these 2 books – disclaimer done!**

**Yes it is a crossover between Yugioh and The Owl Who was afraid of the dark.**

Yugi asked "What's next" a great many times that night. He sat just outside the nest-hole making snoring noises. He was not asleep, just hungry. Owls always snore when they are hungry.

"Oh, Yugi. I'll be glad when you can hunt for yourself," said Mrs. Barn owl, when Yugi had gulped down his seventh – or was it his eighth? - dinner.

"What's next?" asked Yugi.

"Nothing" said his mother "You can't possibly have room for anything else."

"I have," said Yugi, "My mouse side is all full up but my grasshopper side isn't"

"That's just too bad," said Mrs. Barn owl, stretching and settling herself to roost.

Mr. Barn owl swooped in, clapping his wings. He dropped something at Yugi's feet. Yugi slowed it in one gulp.

"That was nice," said Yugi "What was it?"

"A fish" said his father.

"I like fish," Said Yugi "What's next?"

"Bed" said Mr. Barn owl. He kissed his wife good night – or good day, I suppose it was – and settled down himself, to roost.

Yugi made a few hopeful snoring noises, but it was clear that the feast was over. He wobbled over into the nest-hole and soon fell asleep himself.

It was well into the afternoon when he woke up. He came out to the landing branch and looked around. His parents were still drawn up, still as carvings, but the squirrels from down the tree were chasing each other up and down the trunk, their tails flying behind them. Yugi watched them for a bit.

One of them scuttled across a branch that was just below Yugi's and stopped abruptly and began to wash their face. He didn't know Yugi was their, after all, owls are _supposed _to be a sleep during the daytime.

Yugi could not resist it. He bent down though the leaves and let out his very loudest "Eeeek!". The squirrel jumped into the air, like a jack-in-the-box, his ears a-quiver and his marble like eyes. He flashed down the trunk and vanished into his hole.

Yugi jumped up and down with delight. But of course he had done it: he had woken up his mother.

"Yugi!"

"Yes, mum?"

"Go and find out some more about the dark, please, dear."

"Now?" asked Yugi.

"Now," said his mother. "Go and ask that little girl what she thinks about it."

"What little girl?"

"That little girl sitting down there – the one with the pony tail."

"Little girls don't have _tails_."

"This one does. Go on now or you'll miss her."

So Yugi shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and fell off his branch.

His landing was a little better then usual. He bounced three times and rolled gently towards the girl's feet.

"Oh! A woolly ball!" cried the little girl, Tea.

"Actually I'm a barn owl! Said the woolly ball.

"An owl?" Are you sure?" Tea asked, putting out a grubby finger and prodding Yugi's round fluffy tummy.

"Quite sure," said Yugi, backing away and drawing himself up tall.

"Well, there's no need to be huffy," said Tea "You bounced. You must be expecting to be mistaken for a ball if you will go bouncing all over the place. I've never meet an owl before. Do you say Tu-whit-a-woo?"

"No," said Yugi. "That's Tawny Owls."

"Oh, you can't be a proper owl, then," said Tea. "_Proper_ owls say 'Tu-whit-a-woo'!"

"I _am_ a proper owl!" said Yugi, getting very cross. "I am a Barn Owl, and Barn Owls go Eeeeek like that."

"Oh, don't _do _that!" said Tea, putting her hands over her ears.

"Well, you shouldn't have made me cross," said Yugi. "Anyway –_you _can't be a proper girl."

"_What_ did you say?" said Tea, taking her hands off her ears.

"I said you're not a proper girl. Girls don't have _tails_. Squirrels have tail, rabbits have tails, mice…"

"This is a _pony_ tail," said Tea. "It's the longest one in the class," she added proudly.

"But why do you want to look like a pony?" asked Yugi.

"Because-oh, because it's the fashion," said Tea. "Don't you know _anything_?"

"Not much," agreed Yugi. "Mum says that that is why I'm afraid of the dark – because I don't know anything about it. Do you _like_ the dark?"

Tea looked at Yugi in surprise.

"Well, of course I do," she said "There has to be dark. DARK IS NECESSARY."

"Dark is nessessess –is whatter?"

"Necessary. We need it. We can't do with out it."

"I could do without it," said Yugi "I could do without it very nicely."

"Father Christmas wouldn't come," said Tea "You'll have an empty stocking on Christmas day."

"I don't wear stockings," said Yugi, "and who is Father Christmas?"

"Well, Father Christmas is a fat, jolly old man with a beard, and he wears a red suit with a matching hat, and black boots."

"Is that fashion?" asked Yugi.

"No," said Tea. "It's just what he wears in pictures of him – although I don't know how anybody knows because nobody has ever seen him."

"What?" asked Yugi.

"Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you._ Father Christmas only comes in the dark._ He comes in the middle of the night, ridding though the sky on a sledge pulled by reindeer."

"Deer?" asked Yugi, "In the sky?"

"Magic deer," said Tea. "Everything about Father Christmas is magic. Otherwise he couldn't possibly get round to all the children in the world in one night – or have enough toys for them all in his sack."

"You didn't tell me about his sack."

"He has a sack full of toys and he puts them in the children's stockings."

"In their stockings?" asked Yugi "With their feet in them? There can't be much room –"

"No, silly. We hang empty stockings at the end of our beds for him to fill. I usually borrow one of my mum's, but last year I hung up my own tights."

"And did he fill them?" breathed Yugi.

"No-only one leg, but he did put a sugar mouse in the other one."

"I'd rather have had a real mouse," said Yugi.

"So would I, really," said Tea "I wanted a white mouse, but mum says that if a mouse comes into the house she will leave it, and I suppose Father Christmas didn't want me to be an orphan."

Yugi was thinking. "I don't think owls have Father Christmas – not Barn Owls anyway – and I haven't got a stocking to hang up."

"Aah, what a shame," said Tea. "Everybody should have Father Christmas. Its so exciting waking up in the morning and feeling all the bumps in your stocking and trying to guess what is in it."

"Oh stop it," wailed Yugi "I wish he would come to me."

"Shut your eyes," said Tea "Go on. Shut them and you might get a surprise."

Yugi shut his eyes tight and waited.

Tea quickly pulled off her wellington and took a sock off. She was wearing two pairs because the boots where a bit big for her.

"Open your eyes!" Tea said to Yugi, holding up the sock while she stood on one leg and wriggled her foot back into her wellington.

Yugi opened his eyes – and then shut them again because he couldn't believe what he saw.

"Don't you want it?" said Tea "I know that it's a bit holey, but I don't think expect Father Christmas will mind."

"Oh thank you," said Yugi, taking it in his beak and then holding it under his foot. "Thank you _very_ much. I'll go and hang it up at once."

"Not yet," laughed Tea "You'll have to wait until Christmas Eve. Well, I must go now. It must be nearly tea time. Goodbye. I do hope Father Christmas will come to you."

"Goodbye," said Yugi, bobbing his funny little bow. "You are very kind. You are a proper girl."

"And you have a very nice 'Eeeek'!" said Tea. "I'm going to practice it to make my brothers jump, EEEKKK!"

She ran off and Yugi could hear her 'EEEKKKing' right across the field.

Yugi picked up the sock with his beak, and flew up to the landing branch.

"Well?" said his mother

"Jah lijjle yirl shays-" Yugi began with the sock in his mouth. He put it down and tried again. "The little girl, Tea, said that DARK IS NECESSARY because of Father Christmas coming." He said.

"And what do you think, Yugi?" asked his mother.

"I still don't like it AT ALL – but I'm going to hang up this sock on Christmas Eve."

And Yugi took his sock and put it away very carefully in a corner of the nest-hole ready for Christmas.

**YAY!! That chapter was my longest in any of my stories!! 11 pages long! Yayyayyay!**

**Hope you liked it and only 3 more chapters to go until the end.**

**Please review and rate! I'll try to have another chapter for this story up today but I'm making no promise!**


	5. Dark is Fascinating

**Dark is Fascinating**

**I do not own either of these 2 books – disclaimer done!**

**Yes it is a crossover between Yugioh and The Owl Who was afraid of the dark.**

Yugi, having slept nearly all day, was very lively that evening – very lively and very hungry. He kept wobbling along the branch to where his father was roosted to see if their was any chance he was awake and ready to go hunting.

Mr. Barn Owl was drawn up tall and still. He seemed hardly to be breathing. Yugi stretched up on tiptoe and tried to see into his fathers face. What a strong, curved beak he had.

"Dad, are you awake?" he asked loudly "I'm hungry."

Mr. Barn Owl did not open his eyes but his beak moved. "Go away!" it said "I'm asleep."

Yugi went away obediently – and then realized something and went back again.

"Dad! You can't be asleep. You spoke – I heard you."

"You must of imagined it" said his father, still not opening his eyes.

"You spoke," said Yugi. "You're awake, so you can go hunting." He butted his father tummy with his head. "Come on! It's getting up time!"

Mr. Barn Owl sighed and stretched. "All right, all right, you horrible owlet. What time is it?" He looked up at the sky. "Suffering bats! It isn't even dark yet! I could have had another half an hour." He glared at Yugi. "Dash it, I'm going to have another half an hour. I will not be bullied by an addled little-little DAY BIRD. Go away! You may wake me when its dark and not before, d'you understand?"

He suddenly leant forward until his huge beak was level with Yugi's own carpet tack. Yugi could see two of himself in his father's eyes.

"Err-yes, Dad," he said, backing away hurriedly.

"Good," said his father, drawing himself up to sleep again, "Good Day."

Yugi went back into the nest hole to complain to his mother. A sleepy Mrs. Barn Owl listened sympathetically.

"Well, dear, I should go and find out some more about the world if I were you," she said "Look! There's a young lady down there. Why don't you go and talk to her?"

Yugi peered down though the leaves. Standing a little way from the tree was someone wearing shiny black boots, a bright red and furry coat with a matching hat, and what looked like a white beard.

"That's not a young lady!" shrieked Yugi "That's Father Christmas!"

And he fell off his branch in such a hurry that he forgot to shut his eyes _or_ take a deep breath. He landed quite well, considering, but lost his balance at the last moment and toppled forward on to his face. A gentle hand picked him up and set him the right way again.

"Oh, you poor darling," said a young sweet voice. "Are you alright?"

Yugi quickly looked up. That voice didn't sound right. It wasn't a white beard – it was long blond hair.

"Your not Father Christmas at all!" Yugi said crossly. "And I came down _specially_."

"I'm terribly sorry," said the young lady, Mai.

"And I'm not a darling. I'm a barn owl."

"I'll tell you what," said Mai, "May I draw you in my sketch book? I haven't got a barn owl in it."

"Me?" said Yugi "You really mean me?"

"Yes, please. Perhaps you can pose on that low branch for me."

Yugi fluttered up to the branch and stood stiffly to attention. Mai sat on a log and began to draw.

"I always carry my sketch book with me in case I see something interesting," She said.

The interesting barn owl drew him self up and proud like a soldier in a sentry box. But not for long. Mai looked up from her drawing to find that her barn owl had completely disappeared.

"Can I see?" said a small voice down by her boot. Yugi was jiggling up and down trying to see what was on the pad.

"There's not much to see, yet," she said "But all right – you can look."

Yugi looked. "I'm not bald like that!" he said indignantly.

"I haven't had time to get you properly dressed," said Mai.

"And you've only given me one leg."

"I'm afraid a bald, one legged Barn Owl is all theirs going to be unless you keep still."

Yugi really tried hard after that, and he only got down three or four times to see how she was getting on.

He could hardly believe his eyes when it was finished. "Is that really me?" he asked "That looks like Dad – well, almost."

"Yes, that's really you," she said "I keep one end of the book for animals and birds that come out in the day time and the other end for the night creatures. I've put you with them of course."

"Oh," said Yugi "Err-of course."

"All the most interesting ones are at your end," said Mai "I think DARK IS FASCINATING."

"I-err-_tell_ me about it," said Yugi (Well it was too late now to tell her that she had gotten him in the wrong end of the book.)

"Hop up then," said Mai, holding out a finger and taking Yugi onto her lap "and I'll show you what good company you are in. Look-here are some badgers."

Yugi looked down at the big black and white animals with stripes down their noises. "Funny faces they've got."

"That's so they don't bump into each other in the dark," explained Mai "They can't see very well."

She turned the page "Ah! Now I think these are the most fascinating night creatures of all – bats."

"You've got it the wrong way up," said Yugi, Mai laughed.

"No I haven't, that's how bats like to be when they're not fluttering about – hanging upside down by their feet."

"Go on!" said Yugi

"Yes, really. And do you know if you were a baby bat your mother would take you with her wherever she went, clinging to her fur. You'd get lots of rides."

"Oh, I'd like that" Yugi said

"Yes, but when you get to big to carried, do you know what your mother would do before going out? She would hang you up before she went out!"

"Hang me up?" asked Yugi "Upside down?"

"That's right. Now, let's see what else we can find." She turned a few pages. "Yes, here we are – on!"

Yugi was not pleased with her. He was rocking backwards and forwards on the low branch like one of those little wobbly men that you pushed. Every now and again he went a bit too far on way and had to waggle his wings to keep his balance.

"What are you doing?" asked Mai.

"I'm trying to be a bat," said Yugi "But what I don't understand is how they begin. I can't _get_ upside down."

"Perhaps it would be easier to be a hedgehog," said Mai. "When they're frightened they roll themselves up into a ball, look – here's a picture of one."

Yugi hoped back onto her knee and inspected the hedgehog. "His feathers could do with a bit of fluffing up." He said

"Those aren't feathers – they're prickles. They're very useful, too. A hedgehog can jump of a high fence without being hurt if he just rolls up into a prickly ball and just bounces."

"Very useful," said Yugi "I wish I had prickles."

He jumped off her lap and tried to roll himself into a ball. It was very difficult. "I don't seem to have enough bends." He said.

Suddenly he stopped rolling about and stayed still, listening. Then he rushed back to Mai's lap and tried to burry himself in her coat.

"What's the matter," she asked

"THERE'S A FUNNY NOISE," he said "OVER THERE."

Mai listened. There was a busy, rustling sound coming from the dry leaves under the big tree.

"Why, I do believe it is a hedgehog!" she said "Yes, here he is. Look!"

Yugi peeped cautiously over the edge of her lap. A tiny pointed snout pushed its way though the leaves, and then a small round creature scuttled across the ground in front of them.

"They never bother to move about quietly," Mai whispered, "because they know nobody would want to eat anything so prickly."

"Is he sure?" said Yugi "I'm so hungry I could eat anything!"

The hedgehog stopped dead and rolled itself into a tight ball.

"He must of heard you," Mai said reproachfully. "What a thing to say!"

"Well, its true," said Yugi "I'm starving."

"Oh, of course! You'll be going hunting with your parents now that it's getting dark, won't you? I was forgetting you're a night bird."

The night bird looked down at his toes.

"Well, I won't keep you," she went on "expect – would you mind doing me something before you go? I _would _like to hear your screech"

Yugi didn't mind at all. He stuck out his chest and gave her his most enormous "EEEEEKKKKK!" he could possibly manage.

"Gorgeous!" said Mai.

Yugi bobbed his funny little bow. Then he took off and circled around, 'eeekkking' for all he was worth. Mai waved and then with one final 'eekk' of farewell, Yugi flew up to the landing branch.

"Well?" said his mother

"The Father Christmas lady, Mai – you were right, it was a lady – says DARK IS FASCINATING."

"And what do you think, Yugi?"

"I still do not like the dark, AT ALL. But what do you think? Mai drew a picture of me."

"Well, that is special, isn't it? Nobody has ever put me in a picture."

"_And_ she says my screech is gorgeous."

"She does, does she? I wondered what all that noise was about."

"Where's Dad?"

"Out hunting."

"Oh, jolly good. I could eat a hedgehog!"

"I wouldn't recommend it," said his mother.

**Hope you liked it and only 2 more chapters to go until the end.**

**Please review and rate! **


	6. Dark is Wonderful

**Dark is Wonderful**

**I do not own either of these 2 books – disclaimer done!**

**Yes it is a crossover between Yugioh and The Owl Who was afraid of the dark.**

"That was nice," said Yugi when he gulped down what his father had brought. "What was it?"

"A shrew," said his father.

"I like shrew," said Yugi "What's next?"

"A short pause," said Mrs. Barn Owl. "Let your poor father get his breath back."

"All right," said Yugi, "But do hurry up Dad. Shrews are nice, but they're not very big, are they? This one feels very lonely all by itself at the bottom of my tummy. It needs company."

"I don't believe there is a bottom to your tummy," his father said "No matter how much I put into it, it is never full. Oh well, I suppose I had better go and hunt for something else to cast into the bottom less pit."

"That is what fathers are for," said Yugi. "Wouldn't you like to go hunting to, Mum? It would be a nice change for you."

"Thank you very much," said Mrs. Barn Owl. "What you really mean is that you won't have to wait so long between courses! But I will certainly go if you don't mind being left."

"Why don't you come with use?" said his father. "Then you wouldn't have to wait at all."

Yugi looked around at the creeping darkness. "Err-no, thank you, Dad," he said. "I have some more remembering to do."

"Right'o," said Mr. Barn Owl. "Ready, dear?"

Yugi's parents took off together side by side, their great white wings almost touching. Yugi sat outside the hest-hole and watched them drift away into the darkness until they melted into each other and then disappeared altogether. It took quite along time, because the stars were coming out and Yugi could see quite a long way by their light with his owl eyes.

He remembered what his mother had said about dark never being black. It was certainly not black tonight. It was more of a mistily grey, and the sky was pricked all over with tiny stars.

"Drat!" said a voice from some where below Yugi.

Yugi started and peered down though some leaves. Their was a man with some sort of contraption set up in front of him, standing their scowling up at the cloud which had hidden the moon. What was he doing? Yugi shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and fell off his branch. He shot though the air like a white streak and landed with a soft bump.

"Heavens!" the man cried, called Duke. "a shooting star!"

"Actually, I'm a Barn Owl," said the shooting star. "What is that thing that you've got their?"

"A telescope," said Duke. "A Barn Owl did you say? Well, well. I thought you were a meteor. How do you do?"

"How do I do what?" asked Yugi.

"Oh – you know what I mean. How are you?"

"Hungary" said Yugi, "I thought I was a shooting star, not a meteor."

"A meteor _is_ a shooting star."

"Oh," said Yugi "What's the television for?"

"' Telescope'. For looking at things like the stars and planets."

Ohhh! Can I have a look, please?"

"Of course," said Duke "But its not a very good night for it, I'm afraid. Too cloudy."

"I don't like the dark much," said Yugi.

"Really? Said Duke "How very odd. You must miss such a lot. DARK IS WONDERFUL."

"Tell me," said Yugi "Please."

"I'll do better then that – I'll show you," said Duke "Come and put your eye – no, no! _This_ end!"

Yugi had jumped up, scuttled along the telescope, and was now peering backwards between his feet into the wrong end.

"I can't see anything." He said.

"You surprise me" said Duke "Try this end"

Yugi wobbled back along the telescope and Duke supported him on his wrist so that his eye was level with the eye-piece.

"Now can you see anything?"

"Oh yes," said Yugi "It makes everything some nearer doesn't it? I can see a bright bright star. That must be very near."

"Yes – just fifty four million, million miles away, that's all."

"Million, Million - !" gasped Yugi

"Yes, that's Sirius, the Dog Star. You're quite right – it is one of the nearest." Obviously millions and millions were nothing to Duke with his telescope.

"Why is it called the Dog Star for?" asked Yugi.

"Because it belongs to Orion, the Great Hunter. Look! There he is. Can you see those three stars close together?"

Yugi drew his head back from the telescope and blinked. "Can I change eyes?" he asked "This ones getting very tired."

"Yes, of course. Now- see if you can find the Great Hunter."

"He has three stars close together you say?"

"Yes, that's his belt."

"And some fainter stars behind him?"

"Yes – that's his sword."

"I've got him!" shouted Yugi "I've got Orion the Great Hunter. Oh, I never knew stars had names. Show me some more."

"Well, we'll see if we can find the Pole Star, shall we? Hang on – I have to swing the telescope round for that."

Yugi had a ride on the telescope, and then Duke shown him how to find the Plough and the two stars pointing straight up to the Pole Star.

"That's a bright one, too, now isn't it?" said Yugi.

"Yes. There! Now you can find that, you need never get lost, because that star is directly over the North Pole so you'll always know where north is."

"Is that important?" asked Yugi

"Very important," said Duke. "Heavens! What was that?" An eerie, long-drawn shriek had torn the peace of the night.

"Oh dear. I except that's my Dad." Said Yugi. They looked up. A ghostly, whitish form circled above them. "Yes, it is. I'd better let him know I'm here. EEEKKK!"

"Oh!" said Duke "You should warn people when you're going to do that. You know, I often wondered what that noise was. Now I shall know it is only you or your father."

"Or my mother," said Yugi "I really must go. Thank you very, very much for teaching me about the stars."

He hopped onto the telescope and bowed his funny little bow. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Mater Barn Owl. Good star gazing!"

Yugi flew up to join his father and together they landed on the landing branch.

"Well?" said Yugi's mother.

"The man with the telescope – Duke – says DARK IS WONDERFUL, and he called me 'Master Barn Owl' and …?"

"What do you think, Yugi?"

"I know what _I_ think," said Mr. Barn Owl, not giving Yugi a chance to reply. "I think Master Barn Owl has got a bit of check to send his poor parents on an absolutely urgent search for food and then not bother to be in when they get back. I thought you were supposed to be starving?"

"I _am_ starving," said Yugi, "but did you know that the Dog Star is fifty-four million, million miles away…"

"Do you want your dinner or don't you?" said Mr. Barn Owl.

"Oh yes," said Yugi. He gobbled down what his father had brought, and he gobbled down what his mother had brought, and not only did he not ask what it was that he had just eaten, but he didn't even say "What's next?" What he did say was, "Dad, do you know how to find the Pole Star? Shall I show you?"

"By all means," said Mr. Barn Owl, giving his wife a slow wink. "Anything that can take your mind off your tummy like this _must_ be worth seeing!"

Yugi would not rest – and so neither could Mr. and Mrs. Barn Owl – until he mad it quite sure that they could recognize all the stars which Duke had shown him with the telescope. He was still at it at about four 'o clock in the morning.

"Now, are you quite sure you understand about the Pole Star," he said to his mother, who seemed a little bit dense on it.

"I think so dear," yawned Mrs. Barn Owl. "You find the thing that looks like a Plough but is actually a big bear – or is it a small bear – and the Pole star is – um- near the North Star."

"The North star is the Pole Star." Yugi said impatiently, "and the two stars at the front of the Plough point to it. I don't think you're really trying. You haven't been listening."

"Oh we have," said Mr. Barn Owl. "We have been listening for hours and hours. I think that perhaps mum is just a bit tired…"

"But you must know how to find the Pole Star," said Yugi "Or you might get lost."

"I never get lost," said his father indignantly, "neither does your mother. Now be a good chap and go into the nest-hole and I'll see if I can find you something nice for supper. You can have it in bed for once, hmmm?"

"Oh, alright," said Yugi "but I really do feel that you should know about these things. I'll have to try and explain again tomorrow."

Mr. Barn Owl turned to his wife in horror. "Oh, no! Not tomorrow night as well! I couldn't stand it."

"Never mind dear," said Mrs. Barn Owl soothingly "You hadn't had to do as much hunting as you normally have to."

"I'm not sure that all this star-gazing isn't much more wearing than filling the bottomless pit!" groaned Mr. Barn Owl.

"Oh, Dad," Yugi put his head out of the nest-hole. "Did I tell you about Orion? Orion is the Great Hunter and – oh, he's gone!"

"Yes dear, he must really finish his hunting before it gets light," said his mother "Now you get back in their and mind you wash behind your ears properly. I'm coming to inspect you in a minute."

So Yugi had his supper in bed. And then, like a real night owl, he slept right though the daylight hours.

**Hope you liked it and next chapters is the end.**

**Please review and rate! **


	7. Dark is Beautiful

**Dark is Beautiful**

**I do not own either of these 2 books – disclaimer done!**

**Yes it is a crossover between Yugioh and The Owl Who was afraid of the dark.**

When Yugi woke up, it was already getting dark. He came out to the landing branch. There was an exciting frosty nip in the air. "Now who's a day bird!" Yugi shouted at the darkness "I am what I am!"

"What is he bellowing about?" said Mr. Barn Owl, waking up with a start.

"I believe Yugi is beginning to enjoy being an owl at last," said Mrs. Barn Owl, "But ssh! Pretend to be asleep."

Yugi waddled up to inspect them. They were drawn up tall. Fancy sleeping on such a lovely night! Well he wasn't going to hang about waiting for them. He might be missing something. Duke might be back, or Honda might be back, or anything. He was going to see.

So Yugi shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and fell off his branch. He floated down on his little white wings and landed like a feather. Feeling very pleased with himself, he looked around.

Their were two strange lamps shining from the shadows under the tree. Yugi went closer, and found that the lamps were a pair of un-winking eyes, and they belonged to a big black cat. Yugi waited for a minute, but what he was expecting to happen didn't.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" he said at last. "All the others did."

"What should I say?" drawled the cat, called Yami.

"Well, what did you link I was?" asked Yugi. "I've been mistaken for a Catherine-wheel, and a thunderbolt, and a wooly ball, and a darling, and even a roly-poly pudding. Don't I remind you of anything?"

"You look like a baby owl to me" said Yami. Then seeing Yugi's disappointed face, he added, "but I _did_ wonder for a moment weather it was starting to snow."

"You thought I was a snowflake?" asked Yugi, brightening.

"Yes, but when you landed, I saw that you looked more like a fat little snowman," said Yami "and then I knew you were a baby owl."

"Ah, but do you know what _kind_ of owl I am?" said Yugi.

"No," admitted Yami "I can't say I do."

"I am a Barn Owl," said Yugi

"Really?" said Yami "Well, I'm a house cat, I suppose. My name I Yami."

"Yami," Yugi said "Wished I had a name like that."

"What is your name?" asked Yami.

"Yugi," said Yugi "It's awful, isn't it?"

"Oh, I don't know – it's – err – different," Yami said kindly, "and at least its short. There's nothing short for Yami really, so I'm usually called 'Puss', which I can't say I care for."

"I shall call you Yami," said Yugi

"Thank you. Look – err- Yugi. I was just going hunting. Would you like to come with me?"

"Oh," said Yugi "I don't know. I would like to, I think, but I'm not very happy about the dark."

"Oh dear. We'll have to do something about that," said Yami.

"What?" said Yugi, "What can you do when your afraid of the dark?"

"I don't think your afraid of the dark, really." Said Yami, "You just think you are. DARK IS BEAUTIFUL. Take a night like this. Look around you. Isn't it beautiful?"

Yugi looked around. The moon had risen. Everything was bathed in its white light.

"I love moonlight," said Yami. "Moonlight is magic. It turns everything it touches into silver, especially on frosty nights, such as this. Oh, come with me, Yugi, and I will show you a beautiful world of sparkling silver – the secret night time world of cats and owls. The daytime people are asleep. It will all be ours, Yugi. Will you come?"

"Yes!" said Yugi, "I will, just wait while I tell mum where I'm going," He flew like an arrow up onto the landing branch.

"Well?" said his mother.

"Yami says that DARK IS BEAUTIFUL and he have asked me to go hunting with him. I can go, can't I mum?"

"Of course dear," said his mother

Yami had then taken Yugi up to his room top world, the cat leading the way, climbing and leaping, with Yugi fluttering behind.

They sat together on the highest roof and looked down over the sleeping town, a black velvet cat and a little powder puff of an owl.

"Well?" said the cat.

"It is – it is –oh, I haven't the words for it," breathed Yugi. "But you are right Yami. I am a night bird after all. Fancy sleeping all night and missing all this!"

"And this is only one sort of night," said Yami "There are other kinds, all beautiful. There are hot, scented nights: and cold windy nights when the scuffling clouds make ragged shadows across the ground: and breathless, thundery nights which are suddenly slashed with jagged white lightning and fresh spring nights, when even day-birds can't bare to sleep: and muffled winter nights when snow blankets the ground and the ice hangs from the houses and trees. Oh, the nights I have seen – you will see, Yugi, as a night bird."

"Yes," said Yugi, "This is my world, Yami. I must go home."

"What, already? We haven't even done any hunting yet, and I have lots more to show you – a glass lake with the moons reflection floating in it, and……"

"I must go, Yami. I want to surprise them. Thank you for – for showing me that I'm a night bird."

He bobbed his funny little bow and the black cat solemnly bowed back.

"Good bye, Yugi," said Yami, "and many, many Good Nights!"

Yugi took off, circled once, gave a final 'EEEKKK' of farewell, and then flew straight and sure, back to his tree.

"Well," said his mother.

"Yami, the black cat, says DARK IS BEAUTIFUL."

"And what do you think, Yugi?"

Yugi looked up at his mother with twinkling eyes. "I think – DARK IS SUPER! But Ssshh! Dad's coming. Don't say anything."

Mr. Barn Owl came in with a great flapping of wings. He dropped something at Yugi's feet. Yugi swallowed it in one gulp.

"That was nice," he said "What was it?"

"A vole."

"I like vole," said Yugi "What's next?"

"Why don't you come with me and find out?" said Mr. Barn Owl.

"Yes please," said Yugi.

Mr. Barn Owl blinked. "What did you say?"

"I said 'yes, please'," said Yugi "I would like to come hunting with you."

"I thought you were afraid of the dark!"

"Me?" said Yugi. "Afraid of the dark? That was a _long_ time ago!"

"Well!" said his father. "What are we waiting for? A-hunting we will go!"

"Hey, wait for me," said Yugi's mother. "I'm coming too."

So they took off together in the moonlight, Mr. and Mrs. Barn Owl on each side and Yugi in the middle.

Yugi – the night bird.

**The End!**

**Hope you liked it!!!**

**Please review and rate! **


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